DeSean Jackson still doesn’t like the way his first tenure in Philadelphia ended 12 years ago.
Jackson was released by the Eagles in 2014 after his third Pro Bowl season in six years. Chip Kelly, who was the coach and personnel boss at that time, made the decision shortly after a report linked Jackson to reputed Los Angeles gang members and past homicide investigations. Jackson was never a suspect.
“I just feel like there was a lot of things that was made
up,” Jackson said on the AP’s “Football Unfiltered” podcast. “There’s a lot of allegations. I’ve never been a felon, never got arrested, never gotten in any trouble. So to kind of knock me for the areas I came from and the people I hung out with, kind of just. … just be true. I just wish it was just the truth. And I think the truth was they just wanted to move on and that’s OK.
"Sometimes things happen like that. You have coaches that may not get along or you have coaches that may not like certain things that a player may do. But for me, it was just more like a story been made up about something and just coming clean and just saying, you know what? We just want to move in a different direction. So that was good. I wish I could have stayed in Philly my whole career, man. I played for Philadelphia, but at the end of the day, I had to go other places.”
Jackson tells his story in Prime Video’s documentary: “Go Deep: the DeSean Jackson Story.”
Byron Jackson, DeSean’s older brother, began documenting his journey nearly 30 years ago. He first filmed his younger brother as a Pop Warner player and continued through his rise to the NFL.
“It’s 35 years, man, the actual, authentic footage from when I was a young kid from Los Angeles, California, from having a family-oriented father (who was) passionate that always wanted to make it to the NFL,” Jackson said. “But he lived his dream through his kids. … Some raw and good moments, man. A lot of trials and tribulations from life and just obstacles we faced growing up.”
Jackson ended up becoming one of the NFL’s most dynamic players and was the first player to make the Pro Bowl at two positions when he was selected at wide receiver and as a return specialist in 2009.
He finished his career with 641 receptions for 11,263 yards and 58 touchdowns. Only Jerry Rice had more TDs of 50 or more yards than Jackson’s 33. Rice had 36.
Jackson, who also played for Washington, Tampa Bay, the Raiders, Rams and Baltimore, now coaches Delaware State. His coaching style comes from some of the coaches he played for in his 15 seasons in the NFL.
“Andy Reid, Sean McVay, a little bit of Deion (Sanders), just guys that I respected, those mentors to me and guys I had great relationships with that I know what made them great coaches because I was around them and I kind of sprinkled a little bit of all them together and then you get Coach Jack,” Jackson said.
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